Steam-engine.



PATENTED MAR. 10, 1903.

B. J. CARTER. STEAM ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 18, 1902.

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No. 722,206. PATENTED MARJO, 1903.

B. J. CARTER.

STEAM ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 18, 1902.

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Urrn STATES BYRON J. CARTER, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

STEAM- ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,206, dated March 10, 1903.

Application filed January 18,1902. Serial No. 90,331. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BYRON J. CARTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jackson, in the county of Jackson and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in steam-engines, and more particularly to the valve mechanism of the same; and its object is to provide the same with improved reversing mechanism, to provide a simple, cheap, and durable valve mechanism for engines es pecially adapted for propelling automobiles and analogous uses, and to provide the same with certain new and useful features, hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

My invention consists, essentially, in providing a suitable reversing-valve in combination with a rotary disk valve, whereby the engine may be readily reversed and the lead and cut-off changed while the engine is running, and in certain details of construction and arrangement of parts, as will more fully appear by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of an engine embodying my invention; Fig. 2, an end elevation of the same; Fig. 3, an enlarged detail in vertical section in the plane of the axis of the cylinders; Fig. 4, a horizontal section of the steam-chest and contents on the line 4 4: of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a horizontal section between the steam-chest and cylinder on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6, a transverse vertical section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 3; Fig. 7, a detail of the reversing-valve; Fig. 8, a detail of the rotary disk valve, and Fig. 9 a plat of the crank connections.

Like letters refer to like parts in all the figures.

A A A represent three cylinders arranged with their axes parallel and in the same Vertical plane. These cylinders are closed by the crank-case B B at the lower end and at the upper end by a suitable head, integral I with which head is a cylindrical steam-chest C, having its axis in the same plane of the axes of the cylinders and at right angles thereto and provided with a steam-inlet pipe C. From one end of this steam-chest ports F F F extend to the respective cylinders A A A. These ports Where they open into the steamchest are segmental in form and concentric with the axis of the steam-chest. In the axis of this end of the steam-chest is an exhaustport J, having a lateral opening J to attach an exhaust-pipe.

H is a reversing-valve, discous in form, engaging the end of the steam-chest and having a central exhaust-opening I opposite the exhaust-port J and segmental ports I opposite the ports F F F. To adjust this reversing- Valve about its axis and hold it from turning, I provide a rod K, having a T-head at its inner end engaging recesses H in the valve and extending through the exhaust-passage and outside the steam-chest. This rod is provided on its outer end with a lever K, on which is a latch K, engaging a suitable notched sector K. The other end of the steam-chest is closed by a removable head C, in the axis of which head is journaled a shaft L, to the inner end of which shaft is attached a rotary disk valve G, having a live-steam port G, adapted to successively connect with the ports I in the valve H as the disk valve is rotated, and an exhaust-chamber G, adapted to successively connect the ports I with the exhaust-port J. This shaft L is rotated at the same speed as the crank-shaft by being connected therewith by sprocket-wheelsL and M and achain M. To prevent escape of steam around the shaft L, I provide a closely-fitting sleeve L, surrounding the shaft L and longitudinally movable thereon and having at the end adjacent the head C a flange L, engaging the inner surface of the head.

The ports I and G are preferably about sixty degrees in length, thus providing for the admission of steam during two-thirds of the downstroke of each of the pistons,whereby steam is admitted to some one cylinder at all times, thus avoiding any dead-centers.

By turning the valve I-I so that the ports I are opposite one end of the ports in the steamchest the engine will run in one direction, and by turning the said valve so that its ports are opposite the other end of the ports in the steam-chest the engine will run in the opposite direction. By turning the said valve a less amount the steam is admitted and cut off earlier,thusincreasing the lead and cut-off,which is desirable when running at high speeds. When the valve H is turned the full distance, the lead is wholly eliminated and steam is admitted after the cranks have passed the upper center, which is desirable when starting or running slowly. It is obvious that mitergears and a shaft may be substituted for the sprocket-wheels and chain and that various modifications of my device may be made and used Without departing from the spirit of my inventionas, for instance, a four-cylinder combination cutting off at one half-stroke.

I have shown a series of single-acting cylinders; but it is also obviousthat the valves shown could be readily adapted to one or two double-acting cylinders.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a steam-engine, a cylindrical steamchest, a rotary shaft in the axis of one head of the steam-chest, a rotary valve on the inner end of the shaft, means for rotating the shaft, an exhaust-port in the axis of the other head of the steam-chest, segmental ports concentric With the exhaust-port, a reverse-valve having a central exhaust-port and segmental ports to correspond with the ports in the head of the steam-chest, a rod in the axis of the exhaust-port and connected to the reversevalve and means for adjusting and holding the same, substantially as described.

2. In a steam-engine, a cylindrical steamchest, a shaft and a rod journaled in the axis of the respective ends of the steam-chest, means for rotating the shaft, and means for rotating and holding the rod on the respective outer ends of the shaft and rod, a rotary valve on the inner end of the shaft and a rotary reverse-valve on the inner end of the rod and ports extending through the valves and one head of the steam-chest, substantially as described.

3. In a steam-engine, a series of single-acting cylinders arranged parallel and in the same plane, a head common to all the cylinders, a steam-chest integral With the head, an exhaust-port in the axis of one end of the steam-chest, segmental ports concentric with said axis and extending to the respective cylinders, a rotary disk valve in the steam-chest, a shaft journaled in the axis of the other end of the steam-chest and attached to the valve, and means for rotating the shaft.

4. In a steam-engine, a series of single-acting cylinders arranged parallel and in the same plane, a cylindrical steam chest arranged With its axis at right angles to the axis of the cylinders and in the same plane, an exhaust-opening in the axis of one end of the steam-chest, segmental ports arranged concentric with the exhaust-opening and extending to the respective cylinders, a reversevalve having ports corresponding to the ports in the steam-chest, means for rotating and holding the reverse-valve, a rotary disk valve engaging the reverse-valve, a shaft journaled in the axis of the other end of the steamchest and attached to the disk valve, and means for rotating the shaft.

5. In a steam-engine, the combination of a series of single -acting cylinders arranged with their axes in the same' plane and parallel, a cylindrical steam-chest having its axis in the plane of the axes of the said cylinders and at right angles thereto, segmental ports in one end of the steam-chest and extending to the respective cylinders and an exhaustport in the axis of the same, a discous reversing-valve having a central exhaust-port and segmental ports, a rotary disk valve engaging the reversing-valve and having a segmental port and an exhaust-chamber, a removable head in the other end of the steamchest, a shaft rotative in the axis of the head and attached to the rotary valve and connected to the crank-shaft of the engine at the outer end, and a rod connected to the reversing-valve at its inner end and extending outside the steam-chest, a lever on the outer end of the rod, and means for adjusting and holding the lever, substantially as described.

6. In a steam-engine, the combination of a cylindrical steam chest having segmental ports and an exhaust-port in one end and a removable head in the other end, a discous reversing-valve having an exhaust-port and segmental ports opposite the ports in the end of the steam-chest,a rod in the axis of the exhaust-port having a T-head engaging recesses in the reversing valve, a lever attached to the rod, a latch on the lever, and a notched sector engaged by the latch, a shaft rotative in the axis of the removable head, a rotary valve attached to the inner end of the shaft and having a segmental port and an exhaust-chamber, and sprocket-wheels and a chain connecting the shaft with the crankshaft of the engine, substantially as described.

7. In a steam-engine, a series of single-acting cylinders, a cylindrical steam-chest hav ing its axis at right angles to the axes of the cylinders and having a reduced portion forming an exhaust-port, a lateral opening to the exhaust port, segmental ports concentric with the exhaust-port and extending to the respective cylinders, a discous reversingvalve having a central exhaust-opening and segmental ports, a rod in the axis of the exhaust-port and having a T-head engaging recesses in the reversing-valve and extending outside the steam-chest, a lever attached to the rod, a latch on the lever, a notched sector said shaft with thecrank-shaft of the engine,

to engage the latch, a rotary valve engaging substantially as described. IO the reversing-valve and having a segmental In testimony whereof I EtffiX my signature port and an exhanst-chamber, a removable in presence of two Witnesses.

head in the end of the steam-chest, a shaft BYRON J. CARTER. jonrnaled in the axis of the head and at- Witnesses: tached to the rotary valve at its inner end, LUTHER V. MOULTON,

and sprocket-wheels and a chain connecting O. F. ARCHENBRONN. 

